30 Biographies That Encourage a Growth Mindset

Ever met a child who has a fixed mindset? Kids who say things like, “I’m not good at math,” or “I’m not smart enough.” For these kids, we can encourage a growth mindset by reading biographies of famous individuals.

Mindshift recently published an article showing a study that when students were exposed to famous scientists’ “struggle stories”, it helped them not just see the scientist as an individual who persevered, but it also shifted the students’ own beliefs about their potential.

This study done at Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Washington prompted kids to learn more about the struggles of three famous scientists: Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Michael Faraday. The goal was to teach growth mindset by showing that each famous person has a backstory with many challenges.

The good news is that it worked!

“The researchers identified stories as a learning tool because of stories’ ability to influence readers’ beliefs.”

So what struggle stories / biographies can we introduce to our children?

Here are some of my growth mindset biography recommendations, a few of which are autobiographies. (You can find picture book recommendations here and some parenting tips here.)

Growth Mindset Picture Book Biographies

Malala’s Magic Pencilby Malala Yousafzai When she was younger, Malala dreamed of the things she’d do if she had a magic pencil. She’d erase war, poverty, and hunger. Then she would draw girls and boys together as equals. She stopped dreaming of the pencil and worked hard at school. Soon she began writing about her beliefs. Even after bad men tried to stop her, Malala wrote, using her words as the magic to spread a message of hope. Beautifully illustrated and inspiring, this story shares Malala’s ideals with the youngest of readers. Hers is an important example of growth mindset and social justice in action.

Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson Growing up in the prejudicial apartheid South Africa, Nelson Mandela faced horrible racism and a long time in prison. Despite all of this, his spirit continued to be strong. He eventually he realized his dream to improve the country and give equal rights to all people by becoming a strong leader and president of his country.

Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman Despite growing up in a time when women were not viewed as equal to men, Elizabeth studied and worked hard to become the first woman doctor. She showed the world that women were just as smart and capable as men– and can be doctors.

Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez Before Sonia Sotomayor was the first Latino to be nominated to the US Supreme Court, she grew up poor and struggled to overcome stereotypes. Which she did, as you’ll see in this picture book biography.

Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words by Karen Leggett Abouraya, illustrated by L. C. Wheatley She’s just a girl in Pakistan but Malala wants to go to school. When she does, she is shot by the Taliban. Malala becomes an advocate for girls and boys, too, to receive an education. Her biography is a great example of growth mindset. (Also read: For the Right to Learn by Rebecca Langston-George.)

Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown He’s a strange child who doesn’t speak until he’s nearly three, his temper is often violent, and he doesn’t have many friends. It’s a glimpse of the childhood of the infamous scientist, Albert Einstein. He didn’t start out as popular or amazing but … odd. Even children know how his story ends!

Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor by Emily Arnold McCully Mattie was one smart inventor! But not everyone saw it — she had to prove her detractor’s wrong including the man who stole her invention and passed it off as his own. Mattie eventually became known as “the Lady Edison.”

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Eric Shabazz Larkin Most people don’t have Will Allen’s vision. He saw a farm instead of an abandoned city lot. In fact, he figured out how to get space, soil, and create an innovative urban farm despite all the difficulties.

Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Kull, illustrated by David Diaz After having polio as a child, Wilma was told she wouldn’t walk again, let alone run. But Wilma was determined (growth mindset) and she worked hard, becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals at the Olympics.

Hiawatha and the Peacemakerby Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon The Peacemaker was a real person who choose a man named Hiawatha to help him communicate his message of peace and unity to the five nations of Iroquois. The message wasn’t well-received at first but the Peacemaker helped the tribal leaders understand forgiveness and unity. United, the Iroquois nation became a model for democracy which was said to have influenced Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.

I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer, illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos This nonfiction biography series for young readers is absolutely fantastic. The latest is this book about Martin Luther King, Jr. whose cartoon illustration will give you a chuckle — since it’s he’s a kid with a mustache. We learn how much an experience with a white friend not playing with him because he was black hurt him. We learn how the injustice in the world bothered Martin and that he wanted to do something about it. The book does NOT end with his death but ends on a positive note of standing strong and facing struggles.

Chasing Freedom by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Michele Wood I loved this nonfiction biography picture book about Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman — two women who changed the world and had growth mindsets.

Dorothea’s Eyes: Dorothea Lange Photographs the Truth by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Gerard DeBois Polio left Dorothea with a limp and the desire to hide in the background. But this challenge actually helped her find her path in life — to be a photographer and show what she saw, the people affected by the Great Depression.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet This is the true story of an immigrant from Ukraine with grit and perseverance. Clara worked in a shirtwaist factory and grew sick of how she and her coworkers were treated. So, she did something about it — she led a strike. Talk about growth mindset!

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales Cesar was a shy boy whose family worked on farms, barely making any money. As he grew up and saw the injustice done to his family and other migrant workers, he overcame his shyness and became an outspoken leader for justice. (Also read: Dolores Huerta by Sarah Warren.)

The Boo-Boos That Changed the World A True Story About an Accidental Invention (Really) by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Chris Hsu Clever writing will keep readers entertained in this fascinating true story. Plus, readers will be inspired by this invention from necessity as well as the persistent way the company marketed the invention even after initial failure. Earle’s wife, Josephine, is accident prone. REALLY accident prone. Worried about her cuts and infections, Earle invents an adhesive tape “bandage” which helps! He pitches the idea to his bosses at Johnson & Johnson, they love it, and call the product Band-Aids. Unfortunately, the Band-Aids don’t sell. The company decides not to sell them but using growth mindset, gives them away to other accident prone groups — the Boy Scouts and soldiers. Soon the world sees the need for this practical invention — and aren’t you glad?

Growth Mindset Chapter Book Biographies

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick Malala shares in detail how the Taliban shot her in the face when she tried to go to school, just because she was female. She explains how this changed her life. She shares her determination to continue to advocate for her rights and the rights of girls and boys all over the world.

X: A Novel by Ilyassah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon Teen readers will find this a powerful fictionalized account of Malcolm X’s childhood which included a murdered father and a time prison, and then see how he overcame his struggles to become an influential civil rights leader.

Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina by Michaela DePrince and Elaine DePrince An orphan who was thought never to be adopted due to her skin condition, Michaela was adopted from an orphanage in West Africa. Even at the orphanage, she wanted to be a ballerina — and her determination and hard work (growth mindset!) paid off. Her hard work paid off. Now she’s the youngest principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park This is the amazing & powerful biography of a boy with courage and hope who walked across Africa to find a better life. We also learn the story of an African village for whom water is a two hour walk, and how the boy, now a man, builds a well for the village.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer A drought affects William’s Malawi village, ruining crops and leaving everyone hungry. So William decides to figure out a solution. And he does! He learns about wind power and builds a windmill that powers a water pump for the farm land. A must-read growth mindset biography.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Most people know his successes, but this instructive biography shows the ups and downs and behind the scenes of one of the most iconic figures of our time. (Also read: Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal.)

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland Misty Copeland doesn’t even start taking ballet until she’s a teenager — and it was at a community center, not a prestigious dance studio. Follow her struggles as she finds her passion and works hard to achieve her dreams.

I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior: Memoirs of an American Soldier by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin (*mature content) Howard Wasdin had an abusive childhood but he was determined to improve his life and achieve his dream. And he does. With hard work and drive, he become a Navy SEAL, one of the most elite of soldiers in the United States. (Also read: Fearless by Eric Blehm.)

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women by Catherine Thimmesh, illustrated by Melissa Sweet Sometimes happy accidents, sometimes deliberate plans, all these inventions have affected our lives. Learn the story behind each invention — diapers, windshield wipers, the chocolate chip cookie, and interlocking bricks, just to name a few.

Comments

check out GoodNight Stories for Rebel Girls. they’ve made two books so far. there are hundreds of stories of women in these books – all one page biographies with fabulous illustrations – almost all of them tell about struggles that these women have faced. and they have been amazing for my daughter to look through. again and again.

Something about the title “Odd Boy Out” and the description of this book really turns my stomach. Maybe it’s because my quiet, out-of-the-box thinker middle son identifies heavily with Albert and I would have a hard time hearing him be described as “odd” – after all, it’s really NOT all that odd to talk late, have a bad temper, or not fit “in the box”. There were a lot of kids in Albert’s time that didn’t “fit in” either, but not all of them were famous. Wouldn’t it be so much better to frame his “oddities” and “uniqueness”? Choosing positive descriptors is so powerful! I know this book has a good message but it could do it without the negative tone…I much prefer the book “On a Beam of Light” which explores the ways he was misunderstood without a negative tone. Delivers the same message. Great list of books thought! Thank you for putting this together!